1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vaccine pack. More particularly, the present invention relates to vaccine pack which contains and maintains vaccines at a constant temperature and also is capable of holding needles as well as an automatic syringe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art inventions mostly comprise inventions to store medicine and/or vaccines. However, none deal with the problem of field use for vaccinating animals. In the field there are considerable environmental and physical conditions which must be addressed in designing a delivery system The environmental conditions which may effect vaccine effectiveness are sunlight and temperature. Physical conditions which must be addressed are being lightweight for transportation, ruggedness, compactness and ease of use. The prior art inventions do not address all the environmental and physical conditions that an animal vaccination system must address to be used in the field.
Numerous innovations for medicine containers have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention as hereinafter contrasted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,214, dated, Dec. 15, 1992, titled, Named Drug Storage and Delivery System, invented by Kolber et al.,comprises a drug storage and delivery system that includes a drug containing vial assembly, a syringe assembly, and an adapter assembly for attaching the vial assembly to the adapter assembly. The vial assembly includes a vial that is provided with a pierceable stopper and a skirt member that circumscribes the outside of the vial. The syringe assembly includes a cannula extending longitudinally therethrough. The adapter assembly attaches the vial assembly to the syringe assembly in a manner that permits communication between the interior of the vial and the cannula extending through the syringe. The system also permits attachment of the syringe assembly to a container filled with a diluent and means for delivering the diluent into the vial assembly and subsequently directing the mixed solution back into the container.
The present invention differs from the above described invention because the patented invention is inconvenient to use and much more complicated in its part system. In addition the patented invention is not applicable to the livestock industry because it is not rugged enough in design. Furthermore, the patented invention is much more complicated to manufacture and sell again leaving it less applicable to the low margin livestock industry. The patented invention is not designed to compliment the livestock industry's widely used automatic dosage syringes as the present invention is designed to do. The patented invention is similar in application in that it stores and distributes a drug from a vial. U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,214 is greatly dissimilar in convenience of application being much more abstract and complicated. It is therefore not applicable to the beef or livestock industry as there are too many parts. Being a more complicated device it would also be more expensive to manufacture and sell again leaving it less applicable to the low margin livestock industry. This is a multiple mechanism device (three assemblies), not a simple singular device like the Vac-Pac. It is not designed to compliment the livestock industries widely used automatic dose syringes. Its' dispensary end will not accept the supply end of these syringes. Changing drug vials is not nearly as convenient with U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,214 as with my Vac-Pac. There is no needle storage area or mechanism on this device as there is on the Vac-Pac. Once again decreasing convenience and application efficiency. U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,214 has no means by which to attach it to a person or livestock restraint mechanism during livestock processing, as does the Vac-Pac. U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,214 has no area for convenient storage of an automatic dose syringe, presently used in the livestock industry. The materials of construction are completely different. The Vac-Pac has no adapter assembly for diluting the vaccine as does this device. This device is solely applicable to human health whereas the Vac-Pac will strictly be used by the animal health industry.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,144, dated, Aug. 4, 1992, titled, Insulated Drug Supply Pouch Storage, invented by Blakely et al, comprises a belt worn and readily portable medical supply pouch for holding a supply of drug containers in a temperature stable and contamination resistant environment is disclosed. A substantially rectangular housing fabricated from a thick insulating material comprising a bottom, two side panels, a front and a back panel with an open top. The housing thus formed defines a cavity therein for storing a supply of drug cartridges. A protective panel extending across the opening of the housing and angled downward into the cavity is provided to prevent contamination from entering the cavity, while providing access by the hand of a user through the opening and down into the cavity for retrieving one of the drug containers. The housing is covered inside and out by a water-proof and contamination-resistant nylon material. Two belt loop members are affixed to the back panel of the housing for attaching the pouch to the waist belt of a user. An internal pocket inside the cavity of the housing is provided for containing a heating element for heating the interior cavity. An outside auxiliary pocket is attached to the outside surface of the front panel for storing items not requiring an insulated and contamination free environment.
The above described patented invention differs from the present invention because this device is designed to store numerous small vaccine vials for removal dispensing of drug, then return to storage (20). The vaccine pack is intended to hold one multi-dose vial for direct dispensary of the drug. In addition, the patented invention has no means by which to administer the drug directly from within, it is only intended to store vials and small single dose syringes (20). Furthermore, the patented invention has no provision for direct attachment of a multi-dose automatic syringe has been made on this device. The insulated drug supply pouch has no provisions for attachment to a livestock restraining device. It has a singular focus of attachment to a belt on a person. U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,144 has provision for the storage and use of a heating device (21) which is not applicable or necessary with the vaccine pack as it holds the vial closely within full insulation.
In U.S. Pat. No. Des. 324,819, dated, Mar. 24, 1992, titled, Portable Dispensing Case for Medication, invented by Eisenberg, comprises the ornamental design for a portable dispensing case for medication, as shown and described.
The above described patented invention differs from the present invention because the patented device is designed for the storage and dispensary of single doses of medication in the solid form (pills) and not the storage and dispensary of a liquid drug in a vial. This device has no application to the livestock industry. It can not be attached to a livestock restraint device. U.S. Pat. No. 324,819 has no provisions for the storage and use therefrom of needles or an automatic dose syringe. Furthermore, there is no temperature insulation in the patented invention nor provisions for attachment of an automatic dose syringe. The patented invention is not intended for multiple patient or recipient application of a drug.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,296, dated, Jan. 10, 1995, titled, Multi-Celled Safety Package, Needle Guard and Safe Disposal Module for Pre-Filled Medication Cartridges, invented by Smedley et al, comprises a self-packaging safety syringe set (2) uses a unitary molded set of enclosure units (8,104) sized for housing conventional cartridge-needle units (12) therein. The set of enclosure units are connected to one another by frangible connections (64,66,130,138). The cartridge-needle unit has a hollow barrel (14) with a needle assembly (24) mounted to one end and a piston (16) mounted therein. Each enclosure unit includes a body section (38,106), a stem section (44,108) is broken to remove the stem section to expose the needle (26) for use. The removed stem section is used to drive the piston within the barrel. After use, the barrel is pulled back through the body section so that the needle is completely housed within the body section. At that point radially inwardly extending spring fingers (84,132) engage a shoulder (76) on the hub (34) of the needle assembly to keep the needle assembly from being withdrawn from the body section to permit a safe disposal of the used syringe. The syringe set needs no special packaging and no holders for the cartridge-needle units, the enclosure units serving as both.
The present invention differs from the above described patented invention because this device is for the storage of a single dose syringe. It provides no means by which to store and dispense from a multiple dose drug vial. U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,296 does not provide for dispensing the drug directly from this apparatus. Has no provisions for attachment to livestock handling or restraining device. Does not have a location for storage of extra needles. Does not provide insulation for drug from drastic temperature changes.
Numerous innovations for vaccine packs have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.